Page 174 of The Fae Girl 1

“Yes you do.” I replied. “And you can make time.”

“How? You think I can conjure it out of thin air like a Magi?”

“You know what I mean.” I said. “He loves you. He looks up to you.”

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?”

“You’re all he has Uther. You’re his father.”

“And what would you know about it Fain? He’s not your son. You’re not even a parent.”

“I’m just saying…”

He shook his head turning away and took a swig of his goblet. “I know.” He murmured. “I know your intentions are good. But he’s not just my son is he? He’s the future King. I have a duty to this kingdom to keep him safe. I have a duty to my forefathers to ensure he continues our bloodline.”

“And you have a duty as a father to do the best for you son.”

His lips curled. “Since when did you become so wise?”

I chuckled. “Maybe Jelric is rubbing off on me.”

“I bloody hope not. One is bad enough. I don’t need two people lecturing me on how to make each decision.”

“No? I rather think you enjoy my lectures.”

He laughed before sitting back down and gesturing for me to do the same. “Tell me what happened.”

“It was as we suspected. Hezak had taken the castle.”

“Hezak?” Uther repeated. “My own steward?”

“I don’t know what they promised him but evidently it was enough to set a trap.”

“What trap?”

I gave him a look. “The castle was all but deserted when we arrived. They let us get all the way to the boy’s bedchamber and they attacked us.”

“You think they had it all planned then?”

“Every last bit. But they weren’t just after Hal. They were after me.”

Uther narrowed his eyes. “Why you?”

“I’m your commander remember. How much chaos would it cause if they killed me and your heir?”

He growled. “They think they can…”

“They’re getting bolder.” I said. “And if it is Niseri then we have to act accordingly.”

His eyes flashed with fury at the mention of her name. “What are you suggesting?”

“Recall all the Magi. Evacuate whatever villages we can to the cities. Keep the people protected. And start rationing food.”

“If I do that there will be carnage.” Uther said. “The people will panic. They’ll see it as a loss of control. That I have loss the grip on my Kingship.”

“If you leave us as we are we’ll be too stretched to protect every border.”

He shook his head getting to his feet. “How has it come to this? How are we back here again after all this time?”

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